January 23, 2012

Hello my lovely people of the earth.

This week was BORING. Well not really. But I don't have any really super exciting stories to tell you.

First off, I'd like to lament. I know you've all missed reading my rants about things that I believe to be stupid, and so I will treat you once again to my rant about the dumbest thing on the earth: ALCOHOL.

I'm sure some people reading this are laughing and saying "Whatever! Alcohol, in some degree of moderation, is awesome." I've never drank, so I don't really know if that's true. But I'll tell you what I know from an outsider's perspective. ALCOHOL IS DUMB. It ruins people's lives. It drives families apart. It makes otherwise sensible people fools. It destroys bodies. It is DISGUSTING. And it is one of the greatest evils I've been fighting on my mission. Many of the people we teach have destroyed their lives with drinking and it is the biggest trial they must overcome in order to receive the blessings of the gospel. None of them have enough faith that they can quit because they are so dependant on it. And so they don't quit. And they don't progress. And my heart breaks for them.

If anybody within the sound of my voice (or within capacity to read my words, I suppose) has decided that they want to start drinking or that they love drinking too much to give it up or whatever, SHUT UP. DON'T DO IT. DON'T YOU DARE GO DOWN THAT PATH. And if you "must," please please PLEASE watch how much you drink and how often you drink. Please. I don't want to have to worry about you too.

That being said, I'd like to move on to happier things. And also I would like someone to please send me instructions on how to solve a Rubics cube because it's driving me INSANE.

So we have some recent converts in our ward that are from India, and I had the amazing opportunity to eat at their house. And eating with Indians is a sport. They kept filling my plate higher and higher even when I said I couldn't handle anything more. The food was so spicy and my nose was running and my eyes were watering. But it was delicious. And totally worth it. Ha. Neeta, one of the converts, dressed up my companion in her sari and she looked AWESOME. I was so jealous. And then they tried to teach us this dance but we sucked at it, of course. But it was quite the evening. Best dinner appointment ever.

Right now we have 5 progessing investigators and we find more and more people all the time. It's so great. I love the people we teach! And they are so patient with me and my German. Mostly I think they just view me as a cute little puppy they can pat on the head. Ha.

Speaking of cute little puppies, my companion and I have developed a new way of contacting on the street. She does the talking, and I makes my eyes REALLY big and have a really sad face when they say they aren't interested or don't believe in God or they think we're crazy. Then they feel bad and take a card from us. Ha. Last night this guy kept trying to talk about how religion is crazy and he kept looking at my face and saying "Don't look at me like that! Why are you looking at me like that?!" Then Sister Martinz tried to give him a card and he wouldn't take it, so I made my eyes really big and said, "Bitte?" Hahahaha he melted. And took the card. And then he was nice. We're the dream team.

So. Everyone should tell me when they're birthday is. I hate guessing and I feel stupid when I get it wrong. So please write me and tell me.

Also Valentine's Day is coming up! Who wants to be my Valentine?! I'll let you send me lovely things! And MAYBE I'll send you something. Maybe.

I love you all. Go read "The Women in our Lives" by Gordon B. Hinckley. Right now.

Love,

Sister Young